Where the Power Dwells
by stress
Summary: FG/Labyrinth Crossover When Jareth, King of the Goblins, goes to Julian for help, the pair decide to use their powers to win the girls they love. At no cost. Because, together, they have the power.
1. Alive

**Author's Note**; Well.  Here it is.  My Forbidden Game/Labyrinth Crossover.  Relax.  Read.   Enjoy.  Review.  :D

_Alive_.

It was as if everything came rushing back, all at once.  Every memory, every emotion, every victory, every game.  As the lifeforce rushed on, sending electricity throughout his entire entity, Julian realized one thing -- He was alive.

Quickly, Julian changed from his shadow form -- merely vapor and a pair of extraordinarily blue eyes -- into his human body once more.  The smooth skin felt like a worn glove and he grinned when a lock of frost-white hair fell into his line of vision.  But that wasn't the only thing in his line of vision -- There was a man with beauty to rival his own standing directly in front of him.  Julian felt his lip curl in recognition.  "Jareth," he began, the name spilling from his lips as easily as if it were his own, "Was it you then?"

The tall, slender King of the Goblins, a gorgeous fae with hair as white as Julian's, though much longer and more unruly, smiled a sardonic grin.  "Yes, Julian, it was I.  I bargained with your elders.  I found a life to trade for your's to earn their approval.  I myself carved your name back onto the runestave.  So it was I who brought you back to life.  And, frankly, I'm quite exhausted after all my hard work."

Julian returned the grin.  "Really, and to what do I owe for your generosity?"****

"Simple, really.  There is something I want.  Better yet, someone.  I've tried with all my power and cunning to bring the mortal girl to me.  I offered her her dreams.  I changed time for her.  I even went as far to turn the world upside down if only to earn her love.  And it failed.  She once told me 'You have no power over me', and she's correct.  I can't get her to leave Aboveground and come live with me Underground by myself -- she's convinced herself that all my actions were erected out of cruelty and not love.  Therefore, I have forced myself to come to you for help.  Unfortunately, I broke the barriers between the worlds, leaving the Underground for your Shadow World only to find that you, Julian, the only one who understood what it was like for one of our kinds to fall in love with a mortal girl, had paid the ultimate price of your love by giving your life over a month before.  I was most displeased when I heard of your fate, but I took it upon myself to bring you back.  And now I have -- and I need your help."

Julian half-listened to Jareth speak, interested in hearing about everything that happened once his name had been removed from the runestave, but breathing a sigh of relief that it had only been such a short while since he had been dead.  Well, he couldn't really say he had been dead -- a thing that has never been born could never be dead.  Julian preferred to think of it as being erased.  "Jareth, firstly I would have to say that I owe you my existance for re-carving my name.  But, I must admit that I am still rather confused what your need for me is.  Our styles are very different.  You offered your love her dreams, I forced my Jenny," he paused for a moment as the warmth he felt when he dared to utter her name flooded his body, "to face her nightmares.  You tried to convince her to stay with you in the Underground by offering her gifts and listening to her fantasies.  I aimed to make Jenny mine through force and cruelty once she turned down my proclamations of love, which I made quite clear.  Did you, Jareth, ever once tell her of your love?"

Jareth's eyes flashed for a moment at Julian's question.  "Was not my love made clear time and time again?  I did everything I could for Sarah and she refused it.  What more could I have done?"

"Maybe said 'I love you'."

"One would think that you would show more respect to me now that I have brought you back from the dead, Julian," Jareth snarled, whirling around so that his back was to Julian, his cloak whirling around his thin frame as he did so.

"Jareth, I know of your power and your rule over those cretins you call goblins, but remember one thing: I am a shadowman and I respect no one," Julian acknowledged, appearing right in front of Jareth.  "Now, I am all for helping you as I would care to repay my debt to you, but could you make this a little quicker?  It's been so long since I've caught a mere glimpse of my Jenny, and I must say I am starved for the site of her."  Julian smirked to himself, imagining the lovely face of his beloved, hair like liquid amber framing a golden face, while innocence twinkled in her cypress eyes.  "Jenny," he murmured quietly to himself, itching to lurk in her shadows once more and catch just a simple glimpse of her before announcing his presence again.

"Julian."

Jareth's elegant, yet cold, voice broke up Julian's thoughts at once.  "Yes, Jareth?"

"I have a proposition to make for you.  We both have the same problem -- and undying love for a mortal girl who doesn't feel the same.  We both brought them to our own worlds and put them to a test.  Both Sarah and Jenny passed their tests -- your Jenny beating you at your games three separate times.  But I have come to a realization.  What if we help each other out?  With my help, you can use the labyrinth to make Jenny your bride.  In return, I would like to convince Sarah, with your help, that only I can make her happy."

"I like the idea of it, Jareth, but how would you--"

Jareth held up his right hand.  "Julian, leave it to me.  I will take care of everything, just like I took care of you.  All I need is your promise that no matter what happens, you will help me to win Sarah.  In return, I will do anything in my power to bring your Jenny to you."

Julian thought about it for a second -- If he thought about it Julian had to admit to himself that he had lost three times to Jenny, her determination winning over his obsession everytime.  This fae standing in front of him had given him another chance at winning Jenny, and was even offering his help.  And all he wanted in return was for Julian to do what Julian did best: play a game.  Julian felt a genuine grin come to his face.  "You have a deal, Jareth."****


	2. Lie

**CHAPTER TWO.******

"Jenny?"

"What?  Oh, I'm sorry Tom.  Were you saying something?"  Jenny Thornton asked, trying to keep a guilty look from coming to her face.  She knew that Tom had been trying to say something important to her, but she couldn't keep her mind on his words.

Tom Locke ran a hand through his dark hair and sank down right next to Jenny on her living room couch.  "Jenny, you weren't listening to me at all, were you?"

Jenny sat stiffly for a  moment before relaxing and leaning against Tom's left side.  She smiled sadly, thinking about how the feel of his left side once meant safety to her senses.  But, after everything she had gone through in recent times, Jenny wasn't sure if there was such a thing as safety.  "I was, Tom, honest.  It's just that -- I mean -- I dunno."  It was tough but even after returning to California from the hells of the Shadow World those six weeks ago, Jenny still had a hard time putting her feelings into words.

But Tom didn't need to hear the words.  "Were you thinking about _him_ again?" he whispered, his voice dropping when mentioning the "him".

_Lie._

Not for the first time, since the first game, did the impulse to lie had run forth through her mind.  But, like everytime before, Jenny found that she couldn't lie -- especially to Tom.  She owed him that much at least.  "Yes," Jenny whispered back, dropping her head down, letting her amber hair -- no longer pulled back the way Tom preferrered but rather loose and carefree the way Julian liked it -- fall into her face.  Jenny felt Tom's body stiffen, just like the way it did everytime he spied Jenny twisting the golden band on her finger, Julian's ring, or saw her stare into the dark shadows of night.  Everytime he knew that that _Julian_ was crossing Jenny's mind.  "Oh, Tommy, I can't help it.  I just feel so guilty -- It's all my fault, you know."

"No, it's not, Thorny," Tom whispered as he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close to his chest, "It was never your fault.  You didn't ask for Julian to drag us into the Shadow World or to make us play any of those games.  You didn't ask for any of it, and you didn't force him to sacrifice himself.  We all would have done it for you, Jenny.  _I would have done it for you -- and it wouldn't have been your fault if I did."_

Jenny let Tom's whispered words of comfort wash over her.  She knew that Tom had a point, but she still couldn't help feeling guilty over letting Julian give up his existance for her.  And, though she knew she could never mention it to anyone, she couldn't help but miss Julian.  Ever since they left the Shadow World for the last time, the time she had to say goodbye, Jenny brought back a new feeling wth her.  Well, it wasn't a new feeling -- instead, it was a feeling that Jenny had known was there before but had been supressing in favor of her love for Tom and her other friends.  But, especially with Julian gone forever, Jenny knew she could no longer deny it.  Somehow, someway, Jenny had developed feelings for the youngest Shadow Man.

It was a different emotion, though, than the one she shared with Tom, her boyfriend of the last nine years.  With Tom, everything was so safe and normal.  Julian, on the other hand, had brought out the wild side in Jenny.  It was Julian who had set her soul free.  It was Julian who brought about all the changes in Jenny.  It was Julian who really taught her what love was.

That's not saying that Jenny didn't love Tom -- cause she did.  But it was different than before.  And that difference was something that Jenny had been trying to discern ever since they had all made it back to California.  

"I know, Tommy, I know.  It's just so..."  _So what?  Jenny had no idea.  She let her sentence drop as she lifted her head up and used her white blouse to dry the tears she had tried to suppress.  Not that it mattered, though.  Jenny felt that all she did was cry anymore._

"I hate him!"  Jenny jumped back on the couch in fright as Tom stood from the couch and punched the air with his fist.  "He did this to you, Jenny.  And I hate him for it."

Slowly, underneath all of her confusion and worries, Jenny felt anger at Tom's words.  She wasn't sure what scared her more about the anger, though: was it the fact that it was anger at Tom for saying negative things about Julian. or the fact that the only other times that Jenny had ever been this angry was when she thought Julian was hurting Tom.   Jenny shook her head quickly to get rid of the thoughts, but spoke her mind before she forgot them entirely.  "Are you sure it's Julian," Jenny began, ignoring it when Tom flinched at the mention of Julian's name.  Or maybe it was volume of Jenny's voice that spooked him, "that you are angry with?  Just because I changed doesn't mean that he did it?  I changed because I needed to.  Didn't you ever notice that?  Didn't you ever see..." Jenny finished the end of her sentence in a whisper as she drew her legs to her chest and began to cry again.  "I'm sorry if you don't like what I've become, but there is nothing anyone can do now."

"Shhh, Jenny," Tom said, sitting down again, thankful that the rest of the Thornton family had left earlier that evening to go to the movies.  "I didn't mean it.  Really.  I know that after what we have all been through with Julian and his games, we were all bound to change.  It's just a little hard on me to accept the fact that Julian made you change at all."

"Well, he did.  He made me see that I didn't need to be a part of Tom-and-Jenny to survive.  I could be just Jenny and survive.  Be my own master.  And you can be Tom and survive.  Maybe then you'll realize that I wasn't made to just be there for you -- I'm a person too and I wish you would see that.  Maybe," she began, trembling as the words she tried to keep inside for so long came spilling out, "the reason I changed so much is because I needed to.  I did, Tom.  I needed to."  Then, without even looking back at Tom, though knowing full well that the expression his normally handsome face would be wearing would mirror her own horror-struck face, Jenny walked over to the sliding door and peered outside, watching as a white owl flew through the night sky.  

"Jenny," Tom tried, as he walked over to where she was standing and slowly took her hand in his, "I'm sorry."

But Jenny was ignoring him now, instead watching the owl soar throught the starlit sky, spreading his broad wings and flying back and forth in a mesmerizing pattern.  It was so beautiful... And it put wild, half-formed ideas into Jenny's head.  Ideas about a fantastical place full of magical creatures and goblins.  And wishes.  You can't forget the wishes.  _"I wish..."_

"Jenny, are you O.K.?  What are you looking at?  What are you thinking about right now?"  Tom's usual laid-back attitude was gone as he questioned Jenny while, at the same time, trying to look out the window at the sky.

_"I wish..."  That owl really was beautiful.  And such a snowy white color, shining brighter than the moon.  Was it glowing?  Or was Jenny just imagining it?  She couldn't tell -- but she also couldn't take her eyes off of it either._

"Jenny, are you thinking about Julian again?  Julian is dead, Jenny, you need to remember that.  He's dead and gone and can never hurt you again.  I'm here, Jenny, I'm here for you.  Tom, not Julian.  Tom.  Your Tommy.  Isn't that what's important Jenny?"  Tom's voice rose, as he tried to take her attention from whatever it was on.

_"I wish..." What did she wish?  And why did she keep repeating "I wish..."?  Jenny tried to clear her head again.  She felt like she was falling backwards, but she knew her feet were still rooted to her living room floor.  What was going on with her?  She hadn't felt this physically distant since the last kiss she had shared with Julian.  _Julian...__

"Jenny, what's wrong?  What do you see out there?  Jenny, do you hear me?"  Tom reached his arm foward and grabbed Jenny, whirling her around to face him.  "Jenny?"

"I wish... I wish... I wish the goblins would come and take you away, Tom," Jenny spat out as she jerked herself out of his grasp.  

"Jenny?"  Tom took a  step back and stared at her in horror.  This wasn't the Jenny he knew -- there was a fire in her cypress eyes and it frightened him.  And what was this about goblins?  "What's going on, Jenny?"

"Right now!" Jenny shrieked before collapsing to the ground and clamping her eyes shut.  Once her eyes were closed, all ideas of goblins and wishes were gone, leaving only a huge migraine in it's place.  _Wow, that was weird.  What the heck just happened here?  Fighting the pounding rhythm in her head, Jenny got to her knees.  "Tom, what just happened.  Was it another earthquake?," Jenny murmured, remembering one of the only other times she had felt this weak without Julian as the cause.  "Tom?"_

But there was no answer.  Opening her eyes slowly, so as not to aggravate her sudden headache, Jenny gasped at the sight.  Where Tom had been standing only a minute before now stood an ugly little goblin.  Jenny stared at it for a moment before doing the only thing she could think of -- she screamed.


End file.
